Some Secrets Are Best Left Buried
by Regeane Wolf
Summary: HY/RP? Heero mysteriously disappears before he and Relena could get married, forcing her to raise their 2 yr. old daughter, Mariko, on her own. 13 years later, she marries someone else. He is murdered, Mariko wants to know why. Ch.1-4 edited ch.5 new!
1. The News

* All disclaimers apply.

Chapter 1: The News

Relena sat quietly in her room. She was watching the movement on the television but could not hear what they were saying. She heard the phone ring again from downstairs, that was at least the eleventh time it had rung. It hurt her ears every time she heard it. Moving off her bed, she walked slowly to her dresser and observed each picture, carefully picking up each frame.

Suddenly she felt as if she was going to collapse and leaned on the dresser for support. The memories were too much, just looking at all the pictures of her husband, daughter and herself being happy was just too much to bear. Already she could feel the tears starting to fall down her cheeks. 

Relena looked at herself in the mirror and outlined all of her small wrinkles. The youth she had didn't exist anymore. Her hair honey blonde hair was not shining anymore, her blue eyes were faded from crying and the lack of sleep. But for a thirty six year old she could pull of for younger, as her husband always told her. She smiled.

Relena turned back to the television and they repeated the top story on the news.

__

'Jonathan Melack, husband to Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain and founder of Melack Corp. was murdered while overseas on a business trip.'

They went over the details, the gruesome struggle, the way the body was found, riddled with bullets. It was too awful for Relena to listen to. In a fit of anger, Relena threw a vase at the television, shattering the vase and TV. She began to weep uncontrollably now, tossing her head back and forth, refusing to accept the news.

"Mom!" Relena's daughter, her only treasure left in the world, came to her side and allowed her to weep on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry---I" Relena's voice kept struggling to finish.

Mariko held her mother as if she was a child; rocking her in her arms, telling her everything was going to be okay. Relena began to feel better and finally got a handle on herself. "I'm sorry about losing my temper like that," she said as she wiped away her tears. "Don't worry about me, how are you doing honey?"

Mariko smiled forcefully. She didn't want to appear fragile in front of her mother. She needed to be strong for her. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's you who needs a shoulder to cry on right now." Mariko helped Relena to her bed. 

Relena looked at her daughter. Her long dark brown hair was braided back and falling over her shoulder, her light blue eyes reflecting the moon coming from the window. Relena began to idly play with one of Mariko's stray hairs. "You know, your eighteenth birthday is tomorrow," she said trying to change the subject.

Mariko smiled halfheartedly. "Yes, I know. Don't worry, I won't ask for a car or anything like that." They both laughed. It was empty but it was all they could do for the moment.

"Thank you, I needed that. I still think that we should have a huge party. We can still call all your friends and-"

Mariko cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Mom, you don't have to try so hard. I'm just going to invite Regeane, Alex and Leena for a little dinner."

"That sounds nice. Jonathan wanted..." Relena couldn't finish the sentence. She started crying again. Mariko grabbed her and let her finish crying on her shoulder, but Relena pulled herself away determined that she was not going to be a burden to her daughter. "Jonathan wanted to be there for your eighteenth. It's supposed to be the biggest moment in your life. When everything changes, for the better that is." Relena looked away from Mariko.

Mariko sighed. She didn't want this for her mom. Everything that happened in her life. Relena's father dying when she was fifteen; finding out she was this long-lost princess from a dead kingdom; meeting her own father under tense conditions and falling in love with him. She personally never got to know her father, Heero Yuy. 

Mariko always believed, no matter what her mother or anyone else tried to tell her, that he left on his own decision. He suddenly disappeared before they could get married. Relena was twenty-one years old, Mariko was two.

For twelve years Relena was alone. Of course she had the occasional boyfriend and maybe a fiancée or two but she always broke it off. Mariko knew why she always broke it off, because she was waiting for 'him' to return. It was like that until she met Jonathan. For some reason he was different for her, she was actually happy. His raven black hair, dark set eyes and optimistic personality were different and Relena fell hard. He had his own career and wasn't looking for fame and fortune from marrying the ex-princess. He was president of the company, Melack Corps. They worked on typical business things, raiding companies and such. Relena was already busy with her work and being a full-time mother and he was busy with his own thing that they complemented each other perfectly. 

And now he was gone. The one person they both let into their lives was gone. 

Mariko patted Relena's hand. They smiled at each other. "We'll get through this, don't worry. Try to get some rest." Mariko kissed her mother's forehead. "Goodnight."

Mariko got up and started cleaning up the mess with the vase and television. Relena told her to leave it and get some rest of her own. Mariko left and closed the bedroom door.

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Mariko wandered to the television in the living room. She figured it was time that she watched the news. As she thought, they were talking about Jonathan. They showed old clips of his public appearances; reviewing his early childhood, everything to his death. They also started showing clips of him and Relena together, at their wedding. Mariko remembered that to be such a happy time in Relena's life. It was the first time she had seen her really happy since Heero disappeared. 

It also helped that Mariko liked him too. She was fifteen when she met her future father-in-law. The first day they met he bought her a horse. Also they had many things in common. Music was one thing that linked them together as she liked to listen to all types as he did and learning about new ones. She remembered taking him to a rock concert and he almost has as much fun as she did. Also he never made her do anything she didn't want, since she was a very private and quiet person he never tried to push his way into her life and she liked that. 

Drifting from memory to memory she started thinking like her old self; the suspicious and paranoid detective. "Why would someone want to kill you dad?" she said to herself. She wandered around the room, thinking to herself. She was tempted to break into his office and get all the information for herself. 

Instead she just turned off the television and went to her room. The Vid phone rang, she figured she better pick it up. "I swear, it it's another reporter…Hello?"

"Hi honey, it's me." 

"Hello Aunt Noin." Mariko always enjoyed talking to her Uncle Milliardo and her Aunt Noin. She rarely got to see them since they lived in the colonies but they always kept close. 

"Hello auntie, how is everything up on the colony, and with Solun, is he still engaged?"

They had a son, Solun. He was almost the complete opposite of his parents. He believed truly in pacifism and decided to take the role of the Peacecraft legacy. Zechs was proud that he decided to take on that role, but also a little disappointed in a way. Mariko could tell that deep down, Zechs wanted Solun to be a great pilot. 

Solun looks were a mixture of both of his parents; the dark black hair and the ice blue eyes. Solun was twenty years old and as tall as his father. He was dating steadily with his childhood sweetheart and they had recently gotten engaged. Mariko remembered the engagement party, she had made a sly comment about the engagement. She betted that they would last a year, her mother heard the comment and was grounded her for a week.

Noin laughed, she could always tell when Mariko tried to change the subject. "Everything is fine up here. Is your mom awake?"

"No, she was pretty tired out from today's events."

"I would think so. I just wish that I could be there for you two, but things are really tied up here. Zechs should be there by morning so don't sick the dogs on him or anything like that. Or maybe you should?"

They both laughed. "I would if you asked me to. Thank you for calling, I've been tempted to pick up the phone, but couldn't pull up enough strength."

"That's perfectly fine. I'll let you get some rest, you look really tired. Goodnight honey, and give your mother my love."

"I will, good night."

Mariko hung up the phone and finished cleaning up the house. She turned off the television and started towards her room. Suddenly she heard her mother screaming.

Mariko didn't stop and think. She ran to her mom's room. The door was barricaded on the other side. Mariko pushed on the door but it wouldn't budge. With all her strength she picked up her left leg and kicked the door in. Relena was being held by the throat by a man dressed in black. 

Just then Mariko realized she didn't have a weapon of her own. "Put my mother down!" she screamed.

The cloaked man turned towards Mariko, like he didn't even realize she was there before. He looked at Relena who was unconscious. He dropped her on the ground. 

Mariko wanted to run to her mother and see if she was all right, but she couldn't put her guard down for one minute.

The cloaked figure stepped closer to Mariko now. "Your Yuy's brat. I can tell by your eyes, so threatening and deadly."

That just upset Mariko even more. "Don't call me a brat, you bastard. What the hell do you want?"

He looked over at Relena who was still lying on the ground unconscious. "I need some information from Miss Peacecraft Dorlain Melack over there. Why don't you be a good little girl and leave us alone."

"Like hell I will." Mariko was trying to put some distance between her and the shadow. She was feeling for a weapon, any weapon. He knew what she was trying to do.

"Don't even bother trying to put up a fight. Just bend to the will of 'Chaos.'

"Chaos?' That sounds original." Mariko said sarcastically. She finally gave up looking for a weapon, and took her battle stance.

"Your going to fight me fist-to-fist now? That sounds amusing."

Mariko smirked. "Well, it's worth a try." Mariko looked at Relena who was finally waking up. Relena groaned in pain, the cloaked figure turned his head to see. Mariko took the chance for attack. 

Mariko knocked the cloaked figure into the wall. Relena ran to the other side of the room. "Get help!" Mariko yelled. Relena didn't waste any time, she ran out the door. The figure tried to run after Relena. Mariko knocked him against the wall again. She charged towards him, but he wasn't going to let her get off easy again. He charged towards her this time, throwing her to the ground. On the way down, she hit her head on the bed post.

"Don't underestimate me, girl. I'm very dangerous." 

Mariko was dazed. She felt the blood coming from her mouth. She tried to get up, but the pain was too much. "Don't take me very lightly either," Mariko threatened lightly.

All that did was make him laugh. "You have no idea what real pain is yet, but you will find out very soon." He bent down to her and grabbed her hair, she could smell is rotten breathe. His face was covered with a mask, but his eyes she could see. The first thing she noticed was their color. They were a mixture of blue and green, just like the ocean. They were so clear that her image was reflected right back at her. But they didn't have the same calming effect the ocean had, these eyes struck terror inside of you that you didn't even know existed.

"You remind me so much of your father, it's sickening."

"If your talking about my father, Jonathan Melack, you better take that back..."

"I wasn't... Heero Yuy was a great hero, and you don't seem to care about him very much."

Mariko was really getting upset. "He's not my father, not now or ever!" 

He yanked harder on her hair. "Well, you don't seem to be any use, so let's put you out of your misery." He pulled out a dagger and held it to her throat. " 'Chaos' will be taking over soon, you don't want to be around when they do. So I'll release you from your misery." He pressed harder to her throat, blood was trickling out. 


	2. The Ever Watchful Angel

Chapter 2: The Ever Watchful Angel

Mariko watched the blood drip onto the carpet. She felt the pressure of the dagger tighten on her throat.

"Don't worry, your suffering is over." He started moving the blade across her throat. 

"Don't move!" a man in uniform yelled. The attacker looked up and saw the gun pointed in his face. All he did was smile.

"I wouldn't do that, I have a hostage." He pulled Mariko up, using her as a shield. More guards showed up with guns. Relena came in and watched in terror what was going on. 

"What do you want," Relena asked. "If you want me, then take me." Relena pleaded.

"At first, yes I did. But I don't think you have the information that I need, so I think I'll be taking my leave." He pushed Mariko into the group of guards and jumped out the window.

"After him!"

The guards ran out the door. Relena ran towards Mariko, who was still lying on the ground. "Mariko, can you here me?" Relena held her in her arms. "Get a doctor now!" she yelled. 

Mariko wanted to say something, but couldn't find the strength. She slipped into darkness.

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Relena sat by Mariko's bedside, holding her hand. Just a few hours ago they were talking about her eighteenth birthday and the future, but now she was lying in a hospital room, possibly dying.

"Relena?" Quatre came in. He and Relena hugged. Quatre was always there for Relena whenever she needed the support. They were extremely close friends, and for a while, they were more. They dated for a while, but realizing that they couldn't commit to each other, they broke up and stayed close friends. Quatre found someone else, Dorothy. They had a daughter, Regeane. Regeane and Mariko became friends even though Regeane was three years younger than Mariko.

"Thank you for coming Quatre. Is Regeane with you?"

"No, I told her it was better if she stayed home. She threw a tantrum, but I don't think it was good if she saw her in this state."

"That's the best." Relena walked back to Mariko's side. 

"Has the doctor said anything about her condition."

"No. I hate doctors." 

"Doesn't everybody," Quatre said trying to lighten the mood. Quatre stood by Relena. "I think that you should get some rest, the sun will be coming up soon. And you haven't gotten one wink of sleep."

Relena wasn't listening to Quatre. "She was born today. She's eighteen years old... and she's going to die before- " Relena started to cry. Quatre comforted her.

"Mrs. Melack?" 

Relena and Quatre faced the doctor. "I think its best we talk outside."

Quatre went with Relena. 

"Is my daughter going to live?" Relena said trying to get to the point.

  
"Yes, she's fine." Relena and Quatre breathed a sigh of relief. "She has a concussion and she's lost some blood, but she'll live."

"When will she wake up?" Relena asked.

"It depends on her condition. She's pretty tired from the blood loss so maybe in a couple of hours, give or take." 

"Thank you doctor." Relena was ecstatic. She was so happy she almost kissed Quatre, but she controlled herself. 

"She's going to be okay," Relena confirmed to herself.

"Mariko's a fighter, just like her mom."

"Thank you Quatre, for being here."

Relena started back towards Mariko's room. "Uh, Relena. I don't want to intrude, but I think we need to talk about what happened."

"Can it wait?" Relena asked.

"I think the sooner we find out more, we can prevent this from happening again." Someone else came in. A man with dark brown hair and green eyes came in, Trowa. Also Wufei and Duo showed up as well.

"I think we should talk about Jonathan," Wufei said.

---------------------------------------------

A shadow appeared in the hospital room. He stood over the bed, watching the young girl sleep. Her bruised face was heart-wrenching to see, she was breathing steadily. He walked over to the empty chair, just looking at her. He wanted to so badly hold her hand, but he was so afraid to. 

He just watched.

The pain was horrible, he was filled with anger, at himself and at the people who did this. He tried everything to prevent this from happening, from the truth being revealed, but he had no control over it anymore. He looked at Mariko's long dark brown hair. He remembered her second birthday, the last birthday he celebrated. He always carried a picture from that party, just with him and Mariko. Relena made the comment that they looked so much alike it was creepy. He wished that he could see her bright blue eyes, just like her mother's.

Mariko started to groan. He couldn't stay anymore, he quietly said goodbye and went back out through the window.

Mariko opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision, she saw no one. She swore she thought someone was in there, not her mother. "Mom?" she called out. She pushed herself up. Mariko almost fell back down on the bed. The door was closed, revealing little light into the room. She rubbed her head, hoping the pain would go away. 

"Where are the pain killers when you need them?" she said sarcastically.

Getting up from the bed, she grabbed a robe and walked out the room. Walking down the hall proved to be even more difficult but she wanted to find out what was going on. Further down the hall Mariko found her mom talking to a couple of friends. She knew them all too well. Quatre and Duo, she was best friends with their kids. Trowa and Wufei she didn't get to see too often since they lived on the colonies with their families. 

Relena looked tired and worried. She looked like she was having an intense conversation with them. Mariko didn't know if she should intrude on the conversation, but Relena looked like she was about to explode. So Mariko thought that she should take the opportunity to say she was all right and take the pressure off of her mother.

Relena spotted her coming down the hall. Taking her leave of the former Gundam pilots she ran to Mariko showering her with kisses. 

"What are you doing out of bed, young lady?" Relena said going into full mother-mode.

"I felt like taking a walk." The group came up to Relena and Mariko.

Duo hugged her first, cutting off her circulation. Quatre gave her a small hug and a peck on the cheek. Trowa and Wufie just smiled and said they were glad that she was all right.

"Thanks, I feel almost a hundred percent better, if you don't count the pain."

"We should sit down and talk," Wufie said.

"I think it's best that she go back to her room and get some rest first," Relena interrupted.

"It's alright mom. I want to tell you everything that happened first, before I forget too much." 

They sat down in the hospital cafeteria. It was still early morning so hardly anyone was in the cafeteria, giving them privacy.

"I won't be too much help since I don't know what's going on either."

"That's alright Mariko. Any information you can give us is good," Wufie took the line of questioning. Being a Preventer gave him more authority over the situation.

She described hearing the break-in, and seeing the cloaked figure.

"Was there anything distinctive about him, any scars or tattoos?"

"I couldn't see him very well, he was dressed in all black, even his face, except... he had these eyes. They were really creepy."

"What was weird about them?"

"They weren't exactly weird. They were a normal color and everything. Hazel colored, but...I don't know. When he looked at me it just freaked the hell out of me," Mariko shuttered.

"Did he say anything out of the ordinary."

"He mentioned something about 'Chaos'-"

" 'Chaos?'" Quatre said.

Mariko turned to Quatre. "You've heard of them?"

"I think you should go and get some rest now, Mariko," Trowa said.

"You know something, don't you," Mariko said.

No one said a word, not even Duo. Mariko wanted to push the issue further, but she knew it was a lost cause. "Fine. If you guys don't want to tell me anything I can't really force it out of you, can I. Be careful."

Mariko and Relena went back to the hospital room.

"Their back. I was hoping that they just disappeared," Quatre said. 

"Nobody like 'Chaos' just disappears," Trowa said.

"Relena didn't know anything, how could he just hide it from her?" Quatre asked.

"People like that are good at hiding their dirty laundry. It's probably a good thing that he hid it too, because Relena and Mariko would definitely be dead by now," Duo confirmed.

"If Heero was still around I'm sure none of this would have happened..." Quatre said.

"Well, he's not around. He chose the way he wanted to deal with this and it didn't do any good. So it's time we take control of this situation ourselves," Wufei said.

----------------------------------------------------------

Relena helped move Mariko to her bed. Tucking her in reminded Relena of the old days. 

"I'm sorry for all of this," Relena said.

"Mom, you should really stop blaming yourself about everything that I do. If you do then your going to be really disappointed."

Relena smiled. "I'm sorry, it's just that... your all I have left and I don't plan on losing you."

"I plan on being here for a while. Mom, you were in here earlier, right?"

"Yes, I held your hand, praying you were okay."

"When did the others get here though."

"Probably a half hour before you got up, why?"

"Huh, nothing. It's just that I felt... never mind."

Relena looked at Mariko oddly. She kissed Mariko on the forehead. "I'm going to go say goodbye to the others, I'll be back in a minute."

Relena left, shutting the door. Mariko could have sworn that someone was in the room at that time, watching her, someone familiar. She couldn't understand it. She wasn't going to try to rack her brain to figure out the answer. She shut her eyes and fell asleep.

He sat on the roof of the building, watching the room from a pair of binoculars. Heero Yuy watched his daughter fall asleep, being the ever-watchful father he was. 

*Disclaimers apply


	3. Relena's Anguish

Disclaimer apply.

Chapter 3: Relena's Anguish

It was early morning and the sun began to fill the sky with it's bright light and warmth. The light touched the near empty streets of the city giving it new life for another day. The diner was empty, except for a man sitting in the corner, waiting calmly for a 'friend' to meet him. His hazel eyes scanned the newspaper. A shadow suddenly loomed by him.

"Hello, Mr. Sage," The man stood over the diner table. He was not an old man, but he wasn't young either. His gray-blonde hair made him look very distinguished, his tall lean figure made him look like he could be a leader. 

"Don't sneak up on me like that. You might regret it next time."

He sat down. "Did you get the information."

"No... I really didn't get a chance to ask."

"Why not?..." a waitress came to their table and asked if he wanted anything. Lowell asked for a cup of coffee. Sage gave her a little wink and she smiled sheepishly then left to get the coffee.

"Because I was interrupted by that brat of Yuy's-"

He reached across the table, grabbing the man by the shirt. For an older man, he was pretty strong. "Don't tell me you killed her!"

Sage smirked. "No, I didn't, but I was very close. I would calm down if I were you, Lowell."

Lowell sat back down. "We can't afford to make a mistake like that. If you killed her then we would be in more trouble than you realize."

"If your worried about Yuy, don't. I can handle him easily. Besides... I like challenges," giving a murderous grin.

"You are a twisted man, Sage."

His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. "But I'm the best assassin you have."

"Your the second best. Don't forget that." Lowell could see that he was making Sage very angry. Thankfully the waitress brought the coffee and broke the mood a little. Lowell cleared his throat nervously before continuing. "You didn't get to his office?"

Sage shook his head. He became very serious suddenly. That was one thing that Lowell could stand about Sage, he always to work very seriously when it came down to it. Murder on the other hand, that was a different story. 

"Seriously, I don't think that Miss Peacecraft knows anything, and I won't be able to get inside again any time soon. The guards will be doubled and I hear her brother is coming into town and he'll bring just as many."

"Then we'll have to wait for that. If Melack was smart he would have hidden it in a place not even the cops would find." He pulled out an envelope from his coat. "Here are your new orders."

Sage seductively picked them up. "I hope it's a fun job." 

Lowell cringed. "I don't want to know what you think fun is." Lowell paid for his coffee and walked out.

Sage picked up his package and paid for his coffee. The waitress smiled at him before he left. He wanted to go and ask for her number but he didn't have time.

The sun was completely out of hiding now, casting it's light on the busy city. Sage sighed and put on his sunglasses. He just didn't feel like dealing with anything cheery today. As if he ever did.

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"Ready to go, honey?" 

"Yeah, let's go. I don't think I can stand this place for one more minute."

At the front of the hospital, three guards escorted them to their car. Still feeling sore, Mariko carefully got in. "I'm glad to be away from that place!" Mariko said.

Mariko and Relena hugged. "Happy Birthday!" Relena said.

"I almost forgot about my own birthday. I should call the group when we get home."

"Are you sure you can handle guests?" Relena asked.

"I feel fine, don't worry." Relena looked at her daughter nervously.

The car pulled up to the front gate of the house where five guards were waiting.

"Over-doing it with the guards, are we?"

"Do you blame me?"

A guard waved them through to the front driveway. Relena helped Mariko out of the car and into the house.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Mariko jumped back in surprise. Everyone was there, her friends Regeane, Alex and Leena, the gundam pilots. But the person she was happiest to see was her uncle, Milliardo.

"Uncle Zechs!" She ran into his arms.

"Hey kid, how are you," Zechs said.

"I could be better, but who's complaining." As soon as Zechs let go, Regeane and Leena ran up to her.

"We're so glad to see you!" They said almost in unison. They all hugged.

"It's nice to see you guys too." She looked past the two girls and looked at Alex. "This is the first time I've seen you so quiet."

"He's been like since he's heard about your accident. Mom and Dad thought he had gone mute."

Leena and Alex were the children of Duo and Hilde. Everyone called them twins even though they were three years apart, making Alex nineteen and Leena sixteen. They both had their parents effervescent personality, Alex even more. He was a lady's man, it seemed like he had a new girlfriend every month. He also asked Mariko out a few times, but she always turned him down, believing that they should stay friends.

"Sorry..." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'm just a little shaken, that's all."

In a sarcastic tone, "Goodness, I didn't know you cared so much about me.

"Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but I do." They both laughed. The four 'Gundam Brats' talked some more.

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"So, how is she really doing?" Zechs asked Relena.

"She's just a little sore, some bruising…"

"What about you?"

"I'm an emotional wreck, can't you tell?" Zechs and Relena moved to her office, closing the door behind her. "She says she's fine, but I know she not. Between this attack and Jonathan dying I know she's a wreck, unless she's more like Heero than I realized."

"She's just trying to be strong."

"She shouldn't have to deal with matters like this. Mariko should be a normal teenager, thinking about college or something."

"Like you were thinking about that when you were her age?" Zechs said.

"I was in a totally different situation than she is," Relena said smugly.

"Don't think about that today. Cherish this time you have with her, don't think about the funeral or work. Just have fun." 

"Your right, I should be having fun."

Zechs stood by Relena. She couldn't hold back anymore, Relena began to cry. Zechs held the shaken Relena until she pulled away. "I'll be out there in a minute." 

"I'll leave you alone," Zechs left the room.

Relena was left alone. She sat at her desk, looking out the window. The sun was shining through the window, bathing the room in warm light. Relena searched through her desk and found an old photo, it was of Heero, Relena and a newborn Mariko. "Do you know your daughter is almost exactly like you, taking risks she shouldn't and getting herself nearly killed. I need your strength more than anything, Heero."

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"So, Mariko. School's ending in a month. What are you gonna do?" Regeane asked.

"I don't know, I planned on helping my mom out for the first few months then I guess I'll just see."

"Do you have any relationships on the horizon?" Leena asked.

"Alright, that's it. I can't stand chick talk. See ya guys later." Alex moved away and mingled with the others.

"You know, he still has a thing for you." Leena said.

"Yeah, I know." The three girls laughed.

The party continued for a few hours, but Mariko started to feel tired so she went up to her room to rest. Also because Wufei and the others started asking more questions and she didn't feel like answering. Passing by her mom's bedroom door, she decided to go in. 

The room was still a mess, the cops wanted to search for more evidence. Mariko knew they wouldn't find anything. In her mind she suddenly flashed by to that moment. Remembering every move he made, the mistakes she made. All to quickly she remembered his eyes, the ones that stunned her in her tracks. She shook herself out of her hypnotized state and left to her room. 

Breathing in the smell of her room made her feel refreshed. Being in the hospital, even only for one night made her feel homesick. Her room was her sanctuary, it was the place she could go to and forget she was Relena Peacecraft and Heero Yuy's daughter. The room reflected her true mood; colored in purple-blue wall paper, which you couldn't see to well any ways because the walls were covered with photos she took and posters of fantasy creatures like dragons and fairies. Her book case was filled with classics, but her CD collection took up most of the space. On her bedside she kept a picture of just her and Jonathan with the horse he bought her. 

She laid down on her queen-size bed and closed her eyes. Whatever she tried to do, she couldn't fall asleep. Whenever she thought she saw a shadow she popped up. 

"I can't take this anymore." She jumped out of her bed and moved to the door. "Wait, I can't go out there. I don't feel like being hounded by Wufei and the others," she said to herself.

Opening her bedroom door so no one heard her, she snuck down the hall and into Jonathan's office. The room was dark, it hadn't been touched since he was murdered. The cops hadn't searched this office yet since Relena told them she needed a few days before they came and tore apart the office looking for clues. 

Mariko sat in his chair and turned on the lamp, looking at all of his photos on the desk. Of course there were pictures of his wedding with Relena and of herself. The desk was perfectly clean, not one paper or picture out of place. Mariko tried to open a desk drawer, but it was locked. Switching to detective mode, she started looking for a key. No key. Getting a paper clip, bending it out of shape, she started to pick the lock. "Gotta thank Duo for that lesson..." she said to herself. 

The lock popped.


	4. The Chase is On

*Disclaimers apply

Chapter 4: The Chase is On

The man with the desirable eyes approached the balcony, watching a woman with extreme interest. The woman was elegant looking, carrying herself with a refinement. Her jet black hair began to deteriorate to a grayish color. A lavish party was being thrown in the honor of her daughter, it was her engagement party.

He placed the scope onto his prize sniper gun. He never liked using means like this, he always enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, to feel the blood on his own hands. For some reason the image of Heero Yuy's daughter popped into his mind. He remembered the way she confidently threatened him to let go of her mother. He enjoyed their little time they had together, but he knew that he would see her again. He was glad he didn't kill her.

Getting back to the work at hand. The guest had sat down to dinner. It was a light dinner, filled with friendly chatter and laughing. Finally a man at the head of the table stood up to speak. Sage blocked it out. He lifted the gun, pointing at the man's head. He pulled the trigger.

Screams began to fill the room. Sage decided it was his time to make his exit. He picked up his things quickly but calmly. He was still unnoticed by the bodyguards surrounding the area, he was a professional after all. 

He crawled out the third story window in the back, down the overgrown vines. The sun was just going down over the horizon. He didn't like doing jobs in the daylight, but he was on a tight schedule. Keeping his back to the wall of the house, he walked around the other side of the building. The guards had begun to pour out of the house into the garden. Sage reached the outer wall. A guard had spotted him.

"Stop!!" he warned. Sage lifted his hands over his head. The guard began to lift his gun. Sage dove down, rolling forward, and pulled out his dagger in the process. Before the guard had a chance to squeeze off a shot he fell to the ground dead. No other guard had heard their little scuffle. Sage walked calmly to the dead guard and pulled out the dagger from his chest. "Sorry, I need this for later," he said and sheathed the dagger. Checking behind him again he hopped over the wall, back to his own mission.

********************

Mariko looked at the contents in the drawer and found a computer disc sitting at the bottom. She picked up the disc and examined the clear casing. She didn't want to turn on her father's computer so she closed the drawer and made sure everything was in it's place. She slipped out the office door and locked it behind her and snuck back into her own room. 

Her laptop computer sat on her desk and was already on. She popped in the disc and waited for it to load. The 'enter password' screen came on. Mariko was expecting that. She cracked her knuckles and began tapping away at the keys, the one skill her mother let her learn. 

'Access Denied'

She tried again. And again. Still the same thing. 

"Damn it!" She slammed her fists on the desk. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't hack the code. Her skills in that field were also limited. She had only begun to learn computer hacking from her friend, Regeane. 

"Regeane..." She cracked her door open and heard the party still going on. She closed the bedroom door behind her and made her way back to the party. Her anxiety was ignited again to see Wufie and Trowa still wandering around. She could say that she was happy to see them again since she hadn't seen them in quite a long time, but she knew why they were on Earth - to find out what happened to Jonathan. She waved to them as she passed and found Regeane talking to her mother.

"Hello, Mrs. Winner." Mariko politely said.

"It's good to see that your up and running around again," Dorothy said.

"Yes, I feel a lot better. Thank you for your concern." Mariko always felt a little tense around Dorothy. They did get along, but Mariko knew that Dorothy always felt a little jealous of Relena because she had always felt like the rebound after Relena and Quatre broke up. Mariko agreed with this since they did get married under a little of three months after. Mariko never liked to dwell on the past so she tried not to let it get to her.

"I'm guessing you want to talk to Regeane, right?" Mariko nodded. 

Regeane and her wandered away from Dorothy. "We should go find Leena and Alex," Regeane said.

Mariko pulled her back. "No, I need to talk to you alone." They went inside of Relena's office. Mariko pulled out the disc from her pocket. "I need you to hack this code."

Regeane took it from her hand. "What is it?"

"I found it in my dad's office. It was locked in the bottom drawer of his desk."

Regeane shoved it back in Mariko's hand. "What! That could be important information, very important. The cops are definitely going to want to look at that."

"This might tell me what happened to Jonathan. If I can figure out what's on this I can find out who killed him, even though I know who it was." 

"Your thinking it was this Chaos." 

Mariko nodded. She slumped into her mother's chair and looked out at the window. 

Regeane stood by Mariko and looked out the window too. Mariko always considered Regeane to be her best friend. She trusted Alex and Leena as well, but not the same way as Regeane. Even though there was an age difference between the two, Regeane had always been the more mature one out of all of them. Alex told her once that it was an honor to be a friend to her since Mariko trusted very few people. She almost laughed at that because she remembered someone told her that her real father, Heero, had trust issues as well. Not wanting to think about her father, she stood back up and paced the room.

"Please Regeane, your the only one who I know who can do this. I trust Alex and Leena too, but I want to make sure what's on this disc before I tell them. Please."

Regeane pretended to be shocked. "First, your telling me to break the law. Second, your telling me to lie to my parents and friends and third... your begging me to help you. Wow, I should mark this down as a red letter day."

"Ha, ha, ha," sarcastically laughed. "Very funny. So, I'm guessing you will help me." 

"Alright, I'll help. ONLY if you give me that cool dragon poster you have." Regeane extended her hand.

"Deal." They shook hands in agreement. 

"How are we going to get upstairs without any anyone seeing us?"

"We don't. When everyone goes home I'll sneak out and meet you at your house." Regeane began to protest. "Before you say anything, I'm going to do it whether you like it or not and don't bother threatening me and say that your going to tell my mom because you won't. So, I'll see you about eleven o'clock tonight."

Regeane huffed in anger. "Alright. See you later." She stormed out of the room in anger. Mariko stood by the opened door. "Don't worry, dad. I'll find out who did this to you. And believe me, they will pay for it."

She shut the door behind her.

********************

The party ended about eight o'clock after a light dinner. After Relena let everyone out she, Mariko said that she would be going to bed. Zechs and the four ex-gundam pilots sat in the kitchen. 

"I hope Mariko was talking to Regeane about what was going on with herself because she won't talk to me," Relena said. 

"She's a strong girl. But eventually she'll get over her little tough act and talk," Duo said.

"I hope your right." Relena stared down at her cup of tea. She seemed to almost forget there was anyone else in the room until Quatre touched her hand. 

"Don't think so much about it, Relena. It will just eat away at you."

"Alright, we have to figure out what to do about Mariko." Wufie spoke up. "She'll need a bodyguard."

"I've offered to stay here on Earth to watch her," Trowa said. "If you don't mind, Relena."

"Hmm? Oh, that sounds fine. I trust you with her Trowa." Her mind still was wandering from the conversation. 

Zechs stood up. "It won't matter, you and Mariko are coming to the colonies with me."

Now Relena paid attention. "What? You never mentioned that to me. I'm sorry Milliardo, but we're staying on Earth."

"It's safer for both of you if you come with me, I have better resources there to watch her."

Relena wasn't enjoying this conversation. "And what makes you think that I don't have good resources here? Trowa will be enough to watch her."

"I don't think you understand the true situation here..."

Relena stared into his eyes. "Your not telling me the whole truth. What is with this Chaos group that has everyone scared?"

Everyone was silent. Relena slammed her cup on the table. "Somebody better tell me or I will take it in my own hands to find out the truth."

"Okay, you probably figured out that Chaos and Jonathan are connected in some way." Duo said.

Relena nodded. "I have had that clue. But do any of you know what Chaos really is? I haven't heard of them until last night."

"We have. Heero knew about them," Trowa said.

Relena's breath was caught in her throat. "Heero..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "But, he never..."

"He never mentioned it to you for a reason. We have a feeling this is why Heero disappeared," Wufie said.

"I don't know what to think." Relena was ringing her hands until they were white. Zechs stood by his sister and tried to comfort her, but she just ignored him. "What about Jonathan's office? He might have something in there. The cops are supposed to be searching in there tomorrow, but you guys should go look first."

Everyone got up and went upstairs. Relena let them in and they all began to look through everything. They checked every place that Mariko had checked just a few hours ago. Of course they could not find anything. 

"I have a feeling that someone else was here before us," Zechs said.

"Yes, someone was here," Trowa said. He pointed to the bottom drawer of the desk. "The lock was picked."

"Do you have any idea of what was in there Relena," Quatre asked.

She shook her head. "Since it was locked I just thought that was a gun or something. He never was the type to keep secrets, at least that's what I thought."

"He must have gotten inside from the window here, but the guards should have seen him," Zechs said.

"I don't think someone broke in here," Trowa said.

Duo laughed. "You don't think it was someone from inside the house. Well, someone from the party could have gotten in here, but --"

"You think it was Mariko," Wufie said. "Well, she does have reason to. We should go ask her."

Relena stopped him and protested. "I don't think that Mariko would do something like that." Relena darted her eyes to each person in the room. "I can't --"

"Relena. You know Mariko more than anyone here," Zechs said. Relena looked at her brother, knowing that he was right on every count. 

"I'll go ask her." Relena left the room.

"Damn." Duo yelled "This is getting more and more complicated. Do you think that we should try to find Heero."

"No. He didn't want to let us in on this, we can solve this ourselves," Wufie said.

Relena came charging back into the room. "She's gone!"

********************

After she told her mom that she was going to bed, she packed her backpack with the disk and went out Jonathan's office window. The office window had the added comfort of a tree to climb down and the guards were not patrolling the area too heavily. Her car was out of the question so she climbed over the wall and walked to a bus stop that would take her into the city.

It was only eight-thirty, she promised she would meet Regeane at eleven. She stood at the corner of an all-night cafe wondering if she should go inside. The restaurant was semi crowded. Mariko took a booth in the back and ordered a cup of black coffee. Every few seconds she was tempted to call her mother, but she didn't want her to stop her and she figured that they found out that she broke into the office and stole something. '_I have to find out before they do.'_

A half hour passed. It would about an hour to get to Regeane's house. Mariko paid for her coffee and walked down the street to the bus stop. Suddenly Mariko got the same feeling she had gotten in the hospital. Someone was following her. 

The bus came and she practically jumped on. She sat by a window and peered out but saw no one. "Just my imagination..." The bus drove away.

He stepped out of his car. He didn't have to follow the bus to know where she was going since he heard everything that she said in Relena's office. A breeze brushed his dark brown hair, his Prussian blue eyes spotted another car that was watching him carefully. He knew who it was. 

The car drove away. Heero jumped into his car and went after Sage.


	5. The Mark Has Been Made

A/N: I'm sorry if it's been so long but life just got in the way. With my last year in high school and other social events I just couldn't find time. I don't know if anyone is still interested in reading it but I'll continue it anyways. About my DBZ story, I don't think I'm going to finish writing it any time soon. I don't really like the way it's turning out so I want to rewrite it.

Disclaimer apply

Chapter 5: The Mark Has Been Made

"All right, Yuy. Let's see if you've improved." 

Sage turned a hard right at the corner. He looked at his rearview mirror and saw that Heero was still behind him. Every move that Sage made, Heero did the same. Heero wasn't going to let Sage get away from him again. 

Heero continued his pursuit for what seemed to him for miles, following Sage through the crowded streets of the city. He then realized that Sage wasn't trying to get away. They reached the outside of the city limits and Sage pulled over. He turned off his engine and got out of his car. 

Heero followed. He took the gun out from his jacket and got out of the car, keeping his car lights. He aimed his gun at Sage. Sage stood by his car door with his hands in the air and smiled at Heero. "It's nice to see you again, Yuy. It's been a while."

Heero almost cringed in disgust. He knew whenever Sage smiled he was planning something gruesome. "Move away from your car." Sage followed orders. Heero walked over to Sage and patted him down to make sure he wasn't carrying a weapon. 

"Can I put my hands down now?" Sage asked. Heero nodded and backed away from him, still pointing the gun at Sage. 

"What the hell do you think your doing following my daughter," Heero coldly said.

Sage shrugged. "Mariko is now a target. She knows too much."

"Mariko doesn't' know anything. Stay away from her and Relena."

"It's been a while since you've given me orders." Sage laughed. "I see that you've been keeping tabs on her too."

Heero didn't say anything. He just coldly stared at Sage.

"Nothing to say, huh. That's just like you." Sage began to walk away. Heero quickly stepped in front of him, shoved the gun in his face and pulled back the hammer. "I bet you really want to kill me now, after what I did to your daughter."

Heero buried the barrel of the gun into Sage's cheek. "I know you were at the hospital to see her." That just made Heero more upset. Heero stepped back and tried to calm down. "Why did you kill Melack. He's been out of this for a long time."

Sage pulled out a cigarette. "You really haven't been in the loop have you. Where have you been, in a cave?" Heero didn't reply. "Anyways, he's been back with us for the last year. Before he met his untimely demise." He lit his cigarette.

"I knew Melack and I know he wanted to be out of it. Why would he want to go back, unless Chaos threatened him someway."

Sage shook his head. "Not at all. He came back because he wanted to."

********************

Mariko easily climbed over the walls of the perimeter to Regeane's house. Mariko guessed that her mother had found out about her disappearance and that Quatre and the other Gundam pilots were still at her house.

Mariko had planned to sneak in through Regeane's window, but Regeane was waiting at the front door for her. 

"Who do you think you are? James Bond?" Regeane sarcastically said.

"I didn't want anyone to know that I was coming here. Where's your mom?"

"She's upstairs sleeping. Don't worry, no one knows your here." 

Regeane and Mariko went up the stairs to her room. Mariko did not like what she saw. 

"Hey Mariko!" Leena said.

Alex was sitting on Regeane's bed, reading a magazine. "Took you long enough."

Mariko was shocked that Regeane had broken her promise to her. "What's this?"

"Hey, they came over here first. I didn't tell them anything... okay maybe I said something. But I couldn't just keep this away from them."

"I thought we were a team," Leena pouted.

Mariko sighed. "Sorry, sorry..." Mariko plopped down on the bed next to Alex. Alex closed the magazine and asked about the disc. Mariko pulled the disc from her backpack and handed it to him.

"You haven't had any luck decoding it?" he asked.

"Well, that's why I'm over here," Mariko said. Regeane snatched the disc from Alex's hand. 

"This should be a cinch." Regeane popped the disc in her computer and began decoding it.

"So, Mariko. Why couldn't you tell us about it," Leena said.

Mariko stared at the monitor of Regeane's computer lazily. "I don't know, I just didn't want to get too many people involved. I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings."

Alex laughed. "No your not. I know you better than anyone and that's that you've never felt sorry if you think your right so don't bother trying to lie to us."

Mariko smacked Alex lightly on his head. "Don't even bother asking for an apology because it was the right thing to do." 

As time passed, Mariko debating whether she should call her mom.

"Call your mom, Mariko. It's not that difficult of a thing to do. Just tell her that you felt like getting away and you didn't want anyone to know where you were," Leena said. 

"It's easier said than done. She knows that I stole something from my dad's office."

"How do you know that for sure?" Alex asked.

"I don't, but I just know...."

"I got something!" Regeane yelled.

Everyone rushed to the computer. "I knew that you could do it," Mariko said.

"Alright, here we go." Regeane tapped pass a few screens. "Alright. What do we have here... we have some names."

"What do you mean 'names'?" Leena asked.

"You know, names. Of people," Regeane said.

Alex asked, "Yeah, but what are they for?"

"I'm guessing it's a list of employees from your dad's company but I don't know, it hasn't decoded all the way yet. I don't see any names I recognize so --" Regeane stopped in mid sentence.

"What's wrong?" 

Regeane pointed to the screen. "I know this man. He and my dad worked together before, he's been at my house." She was pointing to the name Craig Lowell. "He works for the government so this definitely isn't for your dad's company."

"Find out the name of the company." Mariko ordered. Regeane moved on.

Alex tried to reassure Mariko. "You know this might not be what your thinking. Maybe it's just your father's business deals or something."

Mariko didn't look at Alex. "Somehow I don't think that's what it is. I have a good feeling this is what my father was killed for."

Regeane found the name. Chaos.

Mariko just stared at the name, letting it burn a hole in her memory. The one thing that hurt her the most was that Jonathan was keeping information for Chaos.

"Chaos? That name doesn't sound familiar to me, what about you. Mariko?" Leena looked at her friend as all the color in her face disappear. "Hey, Mariko. You okay?"

"Mariko! Breathe!" Alex began shaking her. Mariko popped out of her daze. 

"What…oh, sorry about that... It's the same name that guy that beat me up said." She couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen. Figuring if she stared at it long enough, the answer would pop up. "Um, is this list of the people working with Chaos?"

"Could be. It could be anything to them." Regeane spun her chair around and faced Mariko. How could she say this to her best friend but she had no choice. "Mariko, I think you should go to the police with this information."

Mariko stared blankly at Regeane. No one could find their voice, not even Alex. He looked over at Mariko, it broke his heart to see his friend in so much pain. Mariko was holding on to the last pieces of her sanity and trying desperately to stay together but he knew that she was losing it. 

Leena decided to break the deafening silence. "We should tell someone about this," Leena said.

"No. Don't tell anyone about this," Mariko said.

"But why--"

"Please!" She threw her hands up in protest. "I need time to think about this. I should get home, I'll call you all tomorrow." Mariko took this disc from the computer, put it safely in her backpack and rushed out the door.

"Why doesn't she want to tell anyone," Leena said.

Alex watched from the bedroom window as Mariko jumped back over the front gate. "Because this evidence is going to incriminate her stepfather."

********************

"Thank you, Dorothy. That means a lot to me." Regeane hung up the phone. "Well, you were right Quatre, she was at your house to see Regeane. That makes me feel a whole lot better." Relena sat down to let her legs stop shaking. 

"See, I told you that girl can handle herself." Duo proudly said. "Should we rush her for whatever she stole?"

Trowa got up from his chair, picked up his cup of coffee and put it in the sink. "We should let you handle it Relena. She'll feel trapped if we try to get it out of her."

"I agree," Wufie said. "We'll let them have their privacy. I'll call you in the morning Relena." Relena said good night to all the gundam pilots and let them out. Zechs was in the kitchen making a few phone calls. 

"I think you should really think about coming back to the colonies with me. You can think about it as a little vacation."

"No, Milliardo. I can't run away from my problems. I have things to work out here, Jonathan's business and I a few meetings to attend to also... but I have decided that you should take Mariko along with you. After tonight and her little escape attempt I think you'll be able to watch her better."

"Alright, but I still think that you should come with us."

Relena and Zechs hugged. "No, but thank you for caring. Tomorrow I have to pick up Jonathan's body, then the funeral too. I'll need your strength for that."

Zechs tightened his hug. "Don't worry, I'll protect you and Mariko no matter what."

*****************  


Sage and Heero stared down. Heero's attempt to threaten Sage wasn't working out as he hoped, but he knew it wasn't going to. "So finish what you were going to say."

Sage blew a long smoke ring into the frosty air. "Yes, you know what it was like. Melack couldn't stand being away from us. The power he lost was just too much."

"What power? All you offer is death and misery." Heero said defiantly.

"Hmph, maybe to you. But men like Melack can't exist without it. When he left Chaos, all he had was that stupid company. Hell, it wasn't anything until Chaos helped. When he completely turned away from us, he lost that part that made him strong. That drives someone like him crazy. Also, raising a family isn't cheap and the company just wasn't doing well without us. He might of pretended he knew about business, but he couldn't fool himself for long."

"That doesn't sound like a reason. Tell me why you killed him!"

"Why should you care? If you think about it, Chaos did you a favor. We got rid of the competition for you. Relena's pretty vulnerable right now. I bet you could stroll right into her house and she'd give you anything you want." Sage grinned devilishly.

Heero blood was boiling. He wanted to kill Sage right now. Shoot him until he ran out of bullets in his gun.

Sage perked his head up. His eyes wandered around their surroundings. Just then Heero saw the radio in his ear. "They've been listening to the whole conversation, haven't they."

Sage smiled smugly. "If I were you I would get out of here right now. They know our location so they will be here any minute to get you. I'll even give you a chance to run away again, just so I can have the thrill of hunting you down." 

Heero gave Sage his usual death glare before jumping in his car and driving away. "That's just like you, Yuy. Running away when it's just starting to get interesting." Sage checked his watch, Chaos soldiers were going to be at his spot any second. 

Sage began beating himself up; punching his own face until his nose was broken and bleeding. He fell to the ground in a bloody mess, waiting for them to show up. He laid there for several minutes when several cars and a motorcycle pulled up to his spot. A man jumped out of one car and rushed to Sage.

"Where's Heero Yuy?" He asked forcefully.

"He beat.... me up and ran.... away." Sage began a series of quick breaths and groans of pain, playing up his part perfectly. If they found out that he let Heero escape then he would be the one on the run, trying to save his own life.

The man left him alone to give instructions to his men. Sage heard him describe Heero and they all separated in search of Heero.

Lowell scanned the area and found Sage being treated by the medical unit. Sage's back was facing him. _That bastard let Yuy get away, I just know it._ Lowell swallowed trying to relieve his dry throat. He wasn't going to let Sage get the better of him and make him think that he was scared.

Lowell approached Sage. "I see that Yuy got away."

Sage peaked over his shoulder, rolling his eyes. "I see that your still asking stupid questions." He shooed away the paramedic. 

Sage flipped around, showing Lowell his mangled face. "Interesting, I thought you said you could handle Yuy?"

Sage laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. Lowell turned away from him and began looking around at the surroundings, anything so he wouldn't have to look into Sage's eyes. God, he hated his eyes.

Sage could see that he was making Lowell uncomfortable. He liked that. "Have patience. I'll get him." He walked away. Lowell had one more thing to say.

"You know what will happen to you if you fail." In the back of his mind though, Lowell was hoping that Sage would fail. Just so he would never have to deal with the psychopath again.

"Empty promises…" Sage muttered.

After everyone left, Sage was left to contemplate the situation. Pulling out a cigarette, he began to think of all the hideous things that he wanted to do to Heero, starting with his precious Relena and Mariko.


End file.
